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Journalist Rojin Altay working at pro-Kurdish daily Yeni Yaşam was taken into custody on January 28. While trying to catch a flight from İstanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Diyarbakır, located in southeastern Anatolia, she was taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate.
At the police prefecture, they called Altay's father, informing him that her daughter was taken into custody. Altay's Lawyer Sercan Korkmaz, called the police department to talk to Altay, was told that there was a 24-hour visit restriction. No information was given about the reason for the detention.
Lawyer Korkmaz was able to meet with Altay on Sunday. However, due to confidentiality decisions in Altay's file, the reasons for her detention are unknown. Altay has one more day left in detention.
Last week access to Yeni Yaşam's website yeniyasamgazetesi3.com was blocked for unknown reasons. The website is still unreachable but continues publishing under yeniyasamgazetesi4.com.
Furthermore, an investigation was launched against Osman Akın, the Editor-in-Chief of Yeni Yaşam. On June 8, İstanbul's 9th Penal Court issued the confiscation of an issue of Yeni Yaşam published on June 7 2022. Akın was charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization". He testified that the published news contained no criminal elements and did not accept the accusation.
171 on trial in the last quarter of 2022
According to BİA Media Monitoring Report, in the last quarter of 2022, at least 171 journalists and media representatives were put on trial on charges related to the Turkish Penal Code, the Anti-Terror Law, and the Law on Gatherings and Demonstrations. Nine were asked to pay material and immaterial damages.
In addition, 12 journalists were acquitted of "insulting the president," "insult," "provoking the public into hatred and hostility," "propagandizing for a terrorist organization," and "praising a crime" in the last three months of 2022. 14 others were sentenced to a total of 21 years, 3 months, and 22 days in prison and to pay a 8,720 lira fine for "insulting the president," "insulting a public official," "propagandizing for a terrorist organization," and "aiding an illegal organization."
Türkiye found itself at the end of 2022 in 153rd place out of 180 on Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 's 20th annual press freedom index. The watchdog argued that authoritarianism is gaining ground, media pluralism is challenged, and all possible means are used to undermine critics in Türkiye.
CLICK - BİA Media Monitoring Database
CLICK - BİA Media Monitoring Reports
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